Spain floods latest: Spanish PM warns ‘this hasn’t finished’ as new storm forecast amid frantic search efforts
Death toll continues to rise after worst flash floods in three decades swept Spanish region of Valencia
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Your support makes all the difference.Spain’s prime minister has urged residents to stay at home as he warned devastation caused by flash flooding is “not finished” - with more extreme weather to come.
Valencia has now been declared a “disaster zone” by Pedro Sanchez, who announced the measure as he visited some of the worst affected areas on Thursday.
With at least 95 already killed, authorities fear the death toll could rise as emergency services continue their desperate search for the dozens of people still missing.
Spain’s transport minister, Oscar Puente, said that rescue workers will be facing the task of recovering bodies believed to still be trapped in cars.
Torrential rain – amounting to a year’s worth in just eight hours in some areas – inundated cities such as Valencia and Malaga, many found themselves “trapped like rats” in their homes and cars, surrounded by rapidly rising floodwaters.
Many affected are preparing for more torrential rain, after Spain’s meteorological service issued a series of fresh warnings - including the most severe kind - on Thursday.
Have you been affected by this? Get in touch at athena.stavrou@independent.co.uk.
At least 34 dead in a town ‘totally cut off’ in Valencia
The mayor of a town in Valencia, Paiporta, has confirmed at least 34 dead due to the dana floods.
Maribel Albalat, from the town of only 25,000 inhabitants, has said the area is “totally cut off, and nothing is working,” and they have “no water.”
The mayor added that the town is trying to “open communication routes” and urged those unable to locate family members in Paiporta to go to the Civil Guard Command in Calamocha Street, Valencia.
Pictured: Military deployed to assist rescue teams in Valencia
Andalusia issues rare red emergency level and urges for ‘maximum caution’
Andalusia has raised its emergency level to red due to the severe risk of flooding in the Cádiz countryside.
The decision follows Spanish meteorological agency’s red warning of heavy rains - which has already caused flooding and road closures in Jerez de la Frontera.
The region has now sent warnings to all mobile phones in the red alert area, urging residents to be extremely caution and avoid travel.
Andalusian President Juan Manuel Moreno has called for "maximum caution."
In pictures: Heavy floods leave cars piled up on the streets of Valencia
Watch: Moment bridge falls apart due to strong floods in
The intense rainfall caused by the recent dana storm in Spain has triggered a series of incidents that have kept residents on high alert since Tuesday.
Among the most striking scenes is the collapse of a bridge in a key area of Valencia.
The force of the water swept away the structure in the area of Picanya.
Pictured: Barcelona under high alert for flooding and heavy rains
High-speed trains between Madrid and Valencia cancelled for the next 4 days
Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente has announced the high-speed rail services (AVE) between Madrid and Valencia will be cancelled for at least the next four days.
In a message on X, he said: “The damage to the high-speed rail service between Madrid and Valencia is significant.
“Resuming service within the next four days does not seem possible.
“Once we have a definitive assessment of the time needed to restore the line, we will make it public.”
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